trnard Jenkin MP, Shadow Minister for Transport, says the Conservatives are riving to help the haulier's lot..
Page 46
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
If you want to sound off about a road transport issue write to features editor tric Cunnane or fax your views (up to 600 words) to Nicky Clarke on 020 8652 8912.
The past four years have been very difficult for Britain's road haulage industry. Hauliers have
o struggled from one year to the next, while the L, government's policy has been one U-turn after another.
Take vehicle excise duty. In his 1999 Budget, Gordon Brown decided to hike the VED on a 40tonne truck by £2,500. This stealth Es tax was in addition to a 12% increase in diesel tax.
The following year the Chancellor changed tack. He decided to take £1,800 off VED, but still increased diesel tax. Then, in November, he said that he was going to cut VED again. He admitted the error of his claim that high taxes were essential for the environment, so why had he inflicted 18 months of pain?
Thanks to the uncertainty of these U-turns, many smaller firms have gone out of business and many larger ones have had to cut their margins to the bone to compete. Dwindling competitiveness has been one of UK haulage's biggest headaches. As operating costs have increased for British companies, it has been much more attractive for foreign companies to undercut British firms.
That is why there has been a huge 108% increase in the number of foreign trucks operating in Britain over the past four years.
Conservatives do not believe this is right. A healthy haulage industry is essential for a healthy economy. Virtually every item that we buy in the shops has arrived there by truck. Killing UK haulage will in the end only impact on the price of goods.
We have been listening to hauliers—real hauliers, not the select few 'big boys' that the government chooses to see. I have met with many representatives of your industry. I have heard that the price of diesel is your most pressing concern, and Conservatives will act to help you.
It will not be easy to undo Labour's damaging tax rises overnight. They have given Britain the highest petrol and diesel taxes in Europe.
However, the Conservatives are committed to cutting fuel tax as and when the economy will allow. We have pledged to cut diesel by a minimum of 3p when elected, and we expect to announce further cuts. This will be a step in the right direction.
In addition, we believe that foreign trucks should not be able to steal British business while paying their VED to a foreign government. We will bring in a tax on foreign trucks for using our roads. They will have to purchase a Brit Disc for each day that they are in Britain. We shall use the revenue from this programme to reduce the VED on domestic trucks.
In November Labour said that it was attracted to this idea. Predictably, Gordon Brown had dropped it by the Budget.
We also realise that rising congestion is also bad for business. More time spent in traffic jams means less time for transporting goods. So Conservatives will address the problem of 'standstill Britain' with a sensible road building programme: more bypasses to get unsuitable traffic off unsuitable roads, and widening of the most congested pinchpoints.
Finally, we will review Labour's unfair policy of fining hauliers who bring illegal immigrants into the country. More should be done to stop immigrants gaining access to trucks in the first place. Often drivers are unaware that they are carrying stowaways and are fined even if they do the right thing and turn them into the authorities.
There are many other issues that concern the British road haulage industry, such as Working Time Directives, safety and the employment of Eastern Bloc drivers by EU competitors. A Conservative government would take all these concerns seriously. We believe in a strong British haulage industry.